Pope Francis declares he prays for successful outcome of “Norman Summit”

Pope Francis. Photo: ua.news

On December 8, during a Sunday sermon on St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Pope Francis said he was praying that the “Norman meeting”, to be held on December 9 in Paris, would bring peace to the land of Eastern Ukraine and urged believers to follow his example, reports the publication RIA Novosti.

In particular, the Pope said that "tomorrow in Paris there will be a meeting of the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, France and the German Federal Chancellor, known as the" Norman Format ", which is to find solutions to the painful conflict that has been going on for years in Eastern Ukraine."

The head of the Roman Catholic Church assured that he attends “this meeting with prayer, strong prayer, because peace is needed there”, and urged believers “to do the same so that this initiative of political dialogue helps to bear the fruits of peace and justice in that territory and its population.”

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Pope Francis called the conflict in eastern Ukraine “the so-called war”, attributing to it all the signs of a civil war and urged the Uniates to abandon their warlike sentiments.

Read also

MP demands answers from Rivne authorities over UOC charity event

Bobrovska expressed outrage that city officials allowed the Rivne Eparchy of the UOC to hold a charity festival that raised money for children with cancer.

In U.S., Archbishop of Albania leads Divine Liturgy on Triumph of Orthodoxy

The Primate of the Albanian Church served in Massachusetts and called for visible unity among Orthodox jurisdictions.

Phanar backs common Easter date with Catholics and Protestants

Theologians of the Patriarchate of Constantinople have proposed revising calendar practice and bringing the celebration of Easter closer to the Western tradition.

DESS congratulates Ukraine’s Jews on Purim

The State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience addressed Ukraine’s Jewish community on the occasion of Purim.

Patriarch Bartholomew becomes honorary professor of ecology in Greece

The Ionian University of Greece has awarded Patriarch Bartholomew the honorary title of professor in its Department of Environment.

Phanar’s shift to new calendar triggered Orthodox schism – ROCOR hierarch

Metropolitan Mark called Constantinople’s adoption of the Gregorian calendar the main source of divisions in the Orthodox world.